Search Results for: back door
Exterior / Process
In March of 2009, after what we thought might be a summer break from working on the house (ha!) we decided to tackle the outside. We were looking for a low cost, high labor project (to keep us busy) and it seems like we chose well. During its 1960’s transformation (or so we think), the house was covered in metal siding, the porches were glassed in, the teal was introduced and aluminum window replaced the original wood windows. Soon enough, we were diving into what would probably be classified as a complete exterior restoration/remodel.
See the porch transformation, flip book style!
March 2009
In early March we started removing the metal siding to see what condition the wood underneath was in.
The north side of the house was in relatively great shape! Fortunately, we were able to take the metal to a recycling facility and get a little cash for our efforts.
Juxtaposition between old and new. It’s amazing how much better the scale of the house looks with the narrower wood siding.
New Seiho dryer vent, old shingles to be demolished.
The haphazard back side of the house (new bathroom window against all closet window on the right).
April 2009
We had to remove the plants at the front of the house so we transplanted the Camelia to the side yard where we think she looks quite nice.
We were just going to demo the porch down to the structure but then discovered that it more or less needed to be entirely replaced. Spending the first 50 years or so as an open porch was the likely culprit.
In order to keep the roof structure, Kyle built temporary struts. Again, Bailey does not like what is going on here. We also were able to reuse the foundation footing but decided to pour a slab over the dirt and create some extra storage space.
For a small job like this, Kyle was able to rent a portable mixer.
After the concrete cured, Kyle got to work rebuilding the porch framing.
We also purchased a Paint Shaver Pro to take all the old paint off. Since we kept the roof structure, the rafter tails were the first to get shaved.
May 2009
Kyle sets the posts and temporarily braces them in preparation for pouring the concrete footings. The framing is also complete. Kyle built new knee braces and installed a threaded tension rod covered with conduit between the two.
More porch progress…pressure treated stair carriages and sheathing on the roof.
The decking, handrails, posts, and rail cap are all ipe, a very hard and durable wood that lasts forever with minimal maintenance. This is a detail of the handrail at the ipe post.
After the installation of the new door, Kyle sprays expanding foam into the cracks and crevices.
Bailey investigates his new view. This is shortly before he drooled all over it.
Kyle recreates his “Captain Morgan” pose after completing the porch roof…a much easier feat than its big brother two summers ago.
We used beveled cedar siding (same size and profile as the house) to wrap the sides of the porch. We then coped the boards so they transition from solid to semi-solid at the stoop.
New door hardware from Emtek.
New jelly jar light (from Home Depot!) and new Neutra house numbers from Design Within Reach.
Detail shot of the new stoop. We will eventually finish the ipe with Penofin.
A shot of the completed porch. The siding will be painted to match the house, all the trim will be white.
June 2009
We decided to go ahead and replace the remaining windows with all the other exterior work. We were very excited to replace many of our fixed windows with new operable windows. Natural ventillation, what a concept!
Installation of the new door. We chose a fir, solid core door for the interior front door, sized to fit in the existing opening.
Prepping the rough opening for the new window.
It was somewhat odd to have big gaping holes in our dining room.
New solid door with Emtek hardware and viewer.
We are thrilled with the new windows! We went with the same windows we did in the bathroom and bedroom – Eagle fir wood windows with metal cladding on the outside. Two of the dining/living windows are casements, which allows for some much needed cross ventillation. The visibility and brightness of color through the glass is also noticeably different from our old windows.
Random – scary looking dogwood tree.
Because our main windows face west, it was very important to order and install shades sooner than later. We tried out various samples, and ended up going with roller shades in a neutral, linen-esque fabric from The Shade Store.
July 2009
Happy 4th of July!
New shades, as seen from outside at night.
Kyle continues the paint shaving along the north wall. We were so thrilled with how incredible the 99 year old wood looked that we considered doing a clear stain. However, there was enough patching required and there was too much contrast between the old and new boards (the old ones looked way better!).
North and west sides almost complete! The shingles will be the last thing we do so we don’t have to worry about protecting new shingles when we paint the beveled siding.
Contrast between old and new on the south side.
August 2009
We were anxious to get one side of the house prepped for paint so we could make a decision on color. This involved shaving the old paint, sanding, setting nail heads, filling nail heads with rust-stop (old nails weren’t galvanized), spacking, sanding, caulking and then priming and painting!
The back side, very much in progress! Kyle has framed in the new attic hatch (bigger and centered on the future door location below). The porch windows will be replaced with a new future-kitchen window.
The new back door, in between coats of Daly’s Seafin Aquaspar.
Dustin came over to help paint and demo the back porch as Kyle worked on the new attic hatch doors.
Sample cans of paint color contenders.
The primer is tinted, but because it is mixed with a white base it is lighter than the final paint color. The bottom four colors are our options (it starts to repeat above that). The top two were too blue or even periwinkle. The 3rd one down was almost two gray and not quite dark enough. The bottom was our favorite. Its name is “soot”. Soot in gray Seattle…perfect! We also like the way the color looks against the white trim and dark brown window.
Kyle also installed the new back door. This will eventually be part of the kitchen, but for now it is part of the old bathroom/current bathroom anteroom.
The back porch, more closely resembling its original state from 1910.
Prepping the opening to install the door. All the white dots (upper left) are spackling that needs to be sanded.
Thanks to the help of our awesome neighbor and professional painting expert, Deb, she and I were able to prime the north side in just one afternoon. Even though it’s just tinted primer, it’s such a huge change already!
The chosen paint color (bottom swatch).
September 2009
The new wall to the right is where the old aluminum screen door used to be.
The siding needed to be cut back at random intervals so the new siding could be slipped in without looking obvious after it’s all painted and done.
New back door (old porch steps relocated), new integrated attic hatch above.
Old electrical “panel” on the right…the two holes to the left were boarded over but originally were screened as part of a natural ventilation food storage system (kitchen is on the other side).
In order to install the future kitchen window, we needed to demo the wall between the porch and the old bathroom/current bathroom ante room.
Framed rough opening for the new (future) kitchen window! I am standing approximately where the future kitchen sink will be.
Since the current kitchen window will eventually be eliminated, we decided to go ahead toss it and frame in the opening. We will probably put in a new window in the future dining area, but this will be located partially behind the existing kitchen cabinets to the right and we didn’t want to rip those out yet.
We found this old electrical permit in the “panel” on the back porch. It’s a permit for an electrical install from 1925!
alignnoneThe old porch and kitchen window are enclosed and ready to be re-sided!
Temporary fix for the old kitchen window location. We had a scrap piece of greenboard so we’ll eventually paint it white and maybe throw a few temporary shelves up. Or maybe one of those trompe l’oeil paintings that make us believe we’re in a warm sunny destination.
The old back porch will, for the time being, become part of the pseudo mudroom/bathroom ante room. We might remove the old bathroom door and old back door to get a little more light into our now dark kitchen.
Rain or shine, we have to get this project done! New siding will be patched in next and then the last of the paint shaving, prepping, etc.
Tinted primer!
New future kitchen window install. Unfortunately, the view is of the garage/carport.
Bailey takes in the new view.
Tinted primer on slats.
Starting to get a feel for the finished product (and also working too late).
Definitely working too late.
But thank goodness for work lights!
Prepping the rough opening for the new basement windows.
Shingle demo.
We opted to go ahead and paint the siding prior to shingle install so we didn’t have to worry about dripping paint. It looks tons better even with just the exposed sheathing.
New basement window and flashing.
October 2009
Insulating the old back porch. We used recycled cotton batt insulation.
Old, sad basement door.
New, happy basement door!
We spray painted all the exterior mechanical/electrical components to blend in with the shingle color.
Fresh bundles of cedar shingles! We actually fit all these in the back of the car which doubled as an amazing air freshener for several days!
For the slats, Kyle used a roller to apply the paint, then back brushed to match the texture with the rest of the house. For the other face, we applied a tinted cedar stain.
Insulation saw! I was skeptical at first, but it actually worked pretty well…much better than a utility knife, scissors, or bare hands.
Cedar shingle install. Kyle used a staple gun that we scored off Craigslist and stainless steel staples. They’re more expensive, but the galvanized staples react with the tannins in the cedar and cause streaking. Not something we want to experience after all this hard work!
We had to pull the temporary stair away to install shingles. This caused a lot of confusion for Bailey who was at a loss on how he would get back in the house. Had I not intervened, I think he was going to try to jump.
Almost there! The shingles need to be stained and those gutters need to be installed.
One coat of stain made such a huge difference! Weather pending, we’ll try to do another coat or two this year.
We had just enough energy to clean up and mow the yard that had somehow become a jungle.
Ahh. Done.
Some quick “after” shots. We still need to get out and take some decent photos when there’s better light.
→ Exterior / Before
→ Exterior / After
the office + workshop
First of all, thank you for the encouraging comments from our last post. It’s nice to know there are still people reading the blog (though apparently no one in our families…ha!). As we continue to brainstorm new ways to use the blog as a platform for sharing about Studio Zerbey, it seemed appropriate for our next post to be something that blended our home and work lives.
So, I present to you – everything you maybe didn’t realize you needed to know about our new office and workshop! What normally would have been a series of blog posts, we compressed into one. (So pour yourself a cup of coffee and settle in!) I think we’d forgotten how long we’ve been mulling over what to do with the garage and then once we finally made a decision – just how long it took to complete construction!
A bit of backstory first – when we bought our house in 2006, one of the major selling points was that it had a 2-car detached garage. (Ok, technically a garage and carport, but two covered parking spaces.) For Seattle, this is huge. If you have a driveway, let alone an actual garage, it’s considered a luxury. Although we had no actual plans to park a car in the garage, we were looking for a house with some sort of space to store the woodworking tools that Kyle inherited from his grandfather. The garage portion was built in 1910 (same year as the house) and the carport was added in 1965. At some point (presumably the same year), a foot or so was added to the garage length and the whole thing was covered in white aluminum siding and teal trim.
As you can see, things really didn’t change much between 1965 and 2017. We continued to use the garage as shop space and the carport quickly became a protected area for materials, lawn tools, miscellaneous crap, etc. (But daaang, look how nice that grass was!)
Although the house always seemed to be the priority, we knew we’d eventually need to do something with the garage. In 2013, we blogged about changing the roof form and converting the carport into a multipurpose space. Then, in 2015, we changed course and decided what we really wanted to do was convert the structure to a DADU (Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit). This scenario would have crossed a lot of “wants” off our list, but ultimately, it was too expensive. We often advise our clients that although a DADU can be a great solution, you are still building a small house in your backyard. And with new construction costs starting at around $300/SF in this area, it adds up quickly. And we weren’t even planning on renting it out. So, we hit the pause button again.
In 2016, we took the baby step of consolidating our offices within the house. Although it was nice having our own spaces, we soon realized that we weren’t collaborating as much as we would have liked. So I moved up to the loft and we shared that area for awhile. It was cozy and workable, but we knew it was time to get serious about our next step. The growth of our business was starting to feel constrained by our space. We needed somewhere for eventual employees, we needed a space to meet with clients that wasn’t our dining room table and most importantly, we needed better physical boundaries between work and home.
We looked at rental properties in our area, but a lease would be expensive and we knew we wouldn’t have the same creative control over the space and it wouldn’t necessarily be a long-term solution. Around this same time, we also briefly considered selling the house and doing something different, but it felt like it would have been a financial and psychological setback to do so without first improving the garage. We also considered just bulldozing that whole structure, but recognized that the building – as ugly as it was – was still valuable. And with current codes, we couldn’t just build something new in the exact same spot. So we went back to the idea of converting the carport into an office space and set about coming up with a design that was as simple, flexible and as cost-effective as possible.
From a land use standpoint, the garage is what you would call an “existing non-conforming structure”. We could keep what was there, but we’d be limited to how we could expand the structure. There are rules about locating structures within certain distances from your property lines as well as how much of your rear yard a detached structure like this can occupy. I could dive into a lengthy land use code analysis, but here it is in a nutshell – the only way we could expand the footprint was to add on to the front of the carport. So that’s what we did. We kept a reasonable walking path between the deck and the new office wall, but we needed that extra square footage to create a functional office and conference room. In the garage, we re-framed the roof and raised the height to the maximum allowed for accessory structures. (If we were building this as a DADU, the height restrictions would be different.)
The layout itself is fairly simple. The office has desks on each side, with space for up to 4 workstations. The conference room beyond can be closed off a with a pair of pocket doors. The shop space is utilitarian with a storage loft above (making up for some of the displaced space in the carport). The rooms are also designed in a way where the structure could be converted to a DADU in the future. Basically, the office would become a living/dining area and the conference room a bedroom. We’d install a door from the office into the shop, which would become a small kitchen and bathroom. Although we have no plans to do this conversion anytime soon (if at all), we wanted there to be the option if our needs change down the road. We’ve found that people are surprised we didn’t include a small bathroom in the initial scope but extending our sewer line and running water would have been costly and our main bathroom is just inside the house. We also toyed with the idea of doing a mini fridge or small kitchenette and the need just wasn’t there when we’re literally a 5 second walk away from our kitchen.
Even though we moved away from the DADU concept, we still feel strongly that this type of space would be valuable to future owners as well – whether used as an office or simply a bonus space for hobbies, crafts or reclusive teenagers. (Wait, that might BE US one day!)
In the winter/spring of 2017 we finished the drawings, got the permit (thankfully it qualified for the over-the-counter kind!) and that summer demo began! I was about 6 months pregnant at this time. We thought the bulk of construction would be complete by my due date. It was not.
To save on costs, we took a hybrid approach to construction. We hired a contractor to do the shell of the building and then coordinated the HVAC installer, electrician, drywall company, floor finisher and painters ourselves. Kyle installed the hemlock ceiling, wainscot, doors and windows, interior trim, drawers and counters, work stations and shelving. Essentially, if it involved wood, Kyle did it. Did I mention we also had a newborn during this time?
The concrete slab in the carport wasn’t in great shape and replacing it was the best option. This also allowed us to properly waterproof underneath and install an electric radiant floor system. A majority of the wall framing remained intact, but proved challenging in that it required a lot of extra work to get level and plumb.
Can you spot Bailey?
The photo above shows how the original garage was extended to the left at one point. This wall took a lot of nail pounding and many, MANY shims before we could drywall over it.
Our framing inspectors were pretty ruthless. 🙂
The baby came, Fall came, but we kept at it.
We even recruited some helpers!
On the outside, we used hardipanel for the workshop siding. This was a cost-effective choice, especially since three of the four sides are barely visible and we were required to provide a 1-hour fire rated wall on the sides against the property lines. Although hardi gets a lot of flack for being ubiquitous, we were able to use it in a modern and limited way. The panels were then painted to match the house (Benjamin Moore “Iron Ore”). The roof on the shop is a corrugated polycarbonate product with a translucent version over the middle section to act as a homemade skylight. We kept the old garage door and applied a few coats of the same stain used for the wood siding. On the office side, we went with 1×2 clear cedar siding, stained a dark brown-gray and installed over a rainscreen system. The door and wood windows are clear fir and we did a membrane roof with gray metal fascia, gutters and downspout.
On the inside of the office, we did a concrete overlay for the floor, with a maple plywood wainscot for added wall protection. The cabinets in the conference room are IKEA kitchen cabinets. The smaller drawers hold our half size drawing sets while the larger ones hold office supplies and samples. The counters are maple plywood with Forbo furniture linoelum on top. The floating shelves are maple plywood and Rakks brackets. In the office space, we used an ELFA shelving system with maple plywood shelves. We used Forbo bulletin board in the conference room and behind the workstations for extra pin-up space and added acoustical properties.
The desks and conference table are a temporary solution. We did maple plywood (with the same OSMO finish as everything else) over simple folding tables. We’ll eventually make upgrades but the reality is that we needed to get it done. We’re also using our vintage Eames chairs in the conference room and those will eventually get replaced or we might just get new dining chairs. Instead of a projector and screen, we opted for a wall-mounted TV to use during meetings. (Coincidentally, it also gets used a lot by our older kids during pockets of time when they’re out in the office before or after school.) When the pocket doors are in the closed position, the space is acoustically separate but still gets plenty of natural light through the frosted glass doors and clear transom glass above.
Before moving out into the space, we did a LOT of purging. We took a close look at exactly what we needed to keep and what could go (mostly old books, samples and office supplies). We’re still experimenting with how to fill all these glorious shelves, but I’m sure that will come with time. It just feels so much better to have more elbow room, head room(!) and room to grow.
Can we pause for a moment to appreciate that acoustically sealed transom glass? Kyle even matched the hemlock ceiling boards around it for a seamless look.
The shallow shelves in the conference room serve as display space for samples. Rather than having everything tucked away in drawers, we can now display our favorite materials in a way that is more conducive to sharing with our clients.
And that brings us to where we’re at today. Although we’ve been working out of this space for awhile now, we finally took the few remaining steps (and photos!) to get it done (enough…for now…y’know). This space truly is the best of both worlds in that we still work from home but our work is a separate building away rather then just a loft ladder. I think the biggest surprise has been just how QUIET it is. We’ve even used the office as an impromptu (kid-free!) gathering space on nights and weekends!
Architecturally, we like that the office + workshop relates to the house without mimicking it. Although we were constrained by the land use code and our budget, we were able to come up with a clever solution that meets our needs while also providing flexibility for future use. In Seattle, there is a real concern about the increasing population and what can be done to meet those needs while creating better density. Even though we decided not to do a rental unit at this time, providing useful work space on one’s property can be part of the solution. (Note: there are specific rules and regulations about what kind of work homeowners can conduct from their residential property.) In a similar vein to small space living, we’ve created a work space that requires no commute, reuses an existing structure, relies heavily on natural light and employs an efficient heating and cooling system. It may not work for everyone, but in an age where many people work from home at least part-time, we think there’s a real need for creating a nurturing space that isn’t the spare bedroom or the left side of the living room couch. True, most of us need little more than our laptops to work remotely, but having a dedicated space that’s not an afterthought can do wonders to create healthy boundaries between work and home. Society’s needs have clearly changed since our house and garage were built 109 years ago, but there’s excitement in re-imagining how these old houses can continue to thrive – not just in the energy efficiency upgrades and new paint, but in the very way we function in our day-to-day lives.
small space living // the shared bedroom
Oh hi there! Well, it’s been nearly three months since we blogged about toddler bed options and we’re finally getting around to sharing. Behold, the shared bedroom.
Your comments made us feel confident in moving forward with a toddler sized bed and although it wasn’t included in our original lineup, we decided to buy the Perch toddler bed from Oeuf. Originally I was turned off by the price and for awhile we considered DIYing something similar (a plywood box on hairpin legs instead). But then a few weeks went by and we realized that it was never going to happen. Or at least in the next several months. For Kyle, the purchase was a no-brainer, but I needed to rationalize it a bit more in my head. I felt better knowing that Lillian could use it down the road and then we could convert it to a daybed/sofa and maybe even put it up in the loft (a space I’m sure the girls will take over at some point). Or y’know, Craigslist.
Overall, we’re very pleased with the quality. One of the side panels had a slight void in the plywood, which wouldn’t have been a big deal but it was on the top and I was worried that Avery would pick at it. I contacted Oeuf directly and they sent a replacement and were super easy to work with.
There isn’t a great solution to get both beds to fit in what is effectively a three-sided room. At first I was hesitant to have the bed overhang the door opening but now that we’ve lived with it for a month it’s really no big deal. Sometimes we just don’t open the doors all the way but most of the time it just doesn’t bother us.
After the new bed was constructed (a task Avery and I did together – she was so proud!) we converted the IKEA Gulliver back to a crib and purchased a second mattress. I haven’t put bumpers on the crib yet (we have simple IKEA ones that we retrofitted for the mini-crib), mostly because they make it a pain to change the sheets. For now, we put her in a lightweight cotton sleep sack and that keeps her from sticking arms and legs between the bars of the crib.
We also reconfigured the storage boxes to fit in front of the window. One of the boxes covers the heat register, so we’ll have to come up with something different (or figure out a way to elevate everything slightly) once the temps drop. Given the summer heat we’ve had, it’s hard to imagine when that will happen.
We also bought two new felt boxes from Land of Nod. One holds baby board books (I’m so over trying to line them up on a shelf) and the other holds Duplos.
I should note that I took these photos this morning. We tidied up a bit first but as you can see it does not take long for things to unravel. We’re keeping it real. Kids are messy, but limiting the amount of stuff and having “homes” for everything makes cleaning up pretty painless.
Lillian is close to crawling, so I’m trying to savor this fleeting time of happy immobility. I will also need to temporarily hide some of Avery’s smaller toys before then.
Not much has changed with the dresser and wardrobe since our update in January. In the living room, we have a bin of baby books, a bin of Avery’s toys (Playmobil and trains) and a basket of baby toys. We converted one of the cabinets in the fauxdenza to hold art supplies, puzzles and games. Other than that, everything fits in their room. (Besides outdoor stuff obviously, which is a whole other topic.) I also recently bought this coat rack from Crate&Barrel. It’s simple, functional and inexpensive. It’s ridiculously hot here now, but most of the year we’re in jackets so I needed something more than the squirrel hook (which will be relocated eventually).
As for the sleep situation – it’s been a little over a month since we moved both girls into the same room and it’s going better than we anticipated. Before, Lillian was still sleeping in the mini-crib, but with the long summer days (sunset after 10:00 and sunrise around 4:30) we had to move her back into our room where it’s much darker. And yeah, that wasn’t great either.
We’re not on a strict schedule, but Lillian generally goes to bed between 7:30-8:00 (it depends more on what time she wakes up in the morning which sets the nap schedule somewhat). Avery’s bedtime is usually 8:00 but that’s been pushed back a bit for summer. We’ve found that it’s easier to put Lillian down first, then read books on the couch (or in our bed) with Avery. Once Lillian is asleep, she rarely wakes up because of Avery. And Avery almost never wakes up because of Lillian (who is often the first one up in the morning), not even in the middle of the night. I’d heard this from other people and it seems to be true for us as well. Lillian also seems to be sleeping better in her new bed. I don’t want to jinx it, but I think she finally, finally might be sleeping through the night now (no night feedings). YAY!
The last few nights, Avery and I have laid in her bed together, opening the curtains just a hair and reading books while Lillian snoozes nearby. I don’t think I imagined that we’d be able to do this so to other parents in a similar situation – I’d say just go for it. You might be surprised what your kids are capable of. Try it for a few weeks and if it doesn’t work figure something else out. I’m sure we’ll hit some road blocks, but it feels good knowing that not only can they sleep in the same room but that they actually seem to enjoy it. I don’t know, they might even like each other. 🙂
The nap situation is getting better too. Both girls take afternoon naps around 2:00, so they nap together in their room. I was mostly concerned with how Lillian would take a morning nap on the weekends (without kicking Avery out of her room), but because that nap is usually only an hour or so it’s almost easier to plan an activity where she can nap on the go. We also still have the mini crib setup outside my office and can roll that in and shut the door in a pinch.
Tucking her animals in for a nap and then asking me to take a photo. (Avery’s toddler bedding is from Land of Nod. They have such cute stuff!)
The nursery (can we even call it that anymore?) has gotten a bit cozier since it’s original reveal – but for the better I think! I love that we’ve been able to modify the space as Avery got older and then adding Lillian. We also realize that it’s still very much a space of our design, but that that will evolve as the girls get older and start adding their own personal touches. Just as long as they’re approved by us first. 🙂
“Composition girls, COMPOSITION!”
a modern dadu
Happy Sunday! Let’s get this week started off with a little garage talk, shall we?
Oh, don’t let that rendering above fool you – she’s still there – our little 1910/1965 hybrid of embarrassment.
Nearly a year and a half ago(!) we wrote this post about our plans to remodel while working with the existing structure, keeping it mostly as a shop space. Well, that obviously never happened and maybe it’s for the best.
Because we’ve been thinking – what if we did something like that first image instead?
Since the arrival of our second kiddo, we’ve given more thought to the future of our business and how we could continue to grow and work (effectively) from our little house. And although there are a lot of perks that come with working from home, it’s become pretty clear that we’re going to eventually need more space and separation. So, we considered leasing or buying a space and even looked at a few potential properties. But nothing felt quite right and ultimately we decided that because we have to do SOMETHING with the garage/carport we might as well make it our office. (If there was an easy fix to make it less hideous, we’d probably consider that but…well, there’s really not.)
But not just an office. That’s not how we roll y’know – it would be an office and a shop space and an apartment. Shazam! Ok, technically speaking – it would be a Detached Accessory Dwelling Structure. In other words, a DADU! Attached dwelling units (think basement apartment) have been allowed in Seattle for a long time but the detached versions are still fairly new. There are specific Land Use guidelines that govern the development of these structures but Kyle has read the code inside and out and came up with a new solution that we’re both pretty excited about.
Originally we were hesitant about investing in a more significant remodel (i.e. second story) when we weren’t sure we’d actually rent it out. (Still seems kinda weird for someone to live in our backyard, right?) But when we started thinking more about the primary use being our office space it made more sense.
So this is how it would play out – most of the time the structure would be used as our office (with the capacity to add 2-3 employees). The existing garage would stay as shop/storage space and the carport would become our studio space (and include a modest kitchen). The upstairs would have a bathroom, conference area and materials library. If we had family in town or weekend guests, they could stay upstairs (the conference table slides out to the deck and a murphy bed folds down in its place) and be up and out before the work day started. Later, if we were to sell the house then the structure could be used as a stand alone rental unit, office or guest cottage. (The lower level would become kitchen/dining/living and the upper level bedroom and bath.)
The goal is to maximize the efficiency not just for our current needs but for future use as well.
Click on floor plans to enlarge.
From a design standpoint, the biggest challenge was how to work with the existing structure to create a two-story solution that was not overbearing in scale or costs. The current garage is non-conforming in that it is too close to the north and east property lines. We don’t have to change what’s already there, but a second story would have to comply with current setback requirements (minimum of 5′). DADUs are also limited to 800 SF, so doing a full second story wasn’t really an option anyway. Other challenges included where to put the stair, providing privacy and minimizing the structural complexity with only a partial second story.
The solution we came up with limits the addition to over the carport only, allowing us to work with the existing bearing walls and footings. (Kyle already completed some exploratory digging and got the ok from our structural engineer that the existing footing could accommodate the additional load.) A new stair would be added to the front of the carport, where we’re not limited to setback requirements. A deck on the north side (over the existing garage) would provide some private outdoor space for the apartment. The existing concrete slab, footings, wall framing (including that sweet garage door!) and some roof framing would remain, saving on costs and preserving the original structure’s grandfathered status. We also gave careful thought to window placement, realizing that we didn’t want the windows in our kitchen to look directly into the building and vice versa. This solution places the windows mostly on the south side and northwest corner, letting in plenty of natural light but limiting direct views.
These moves help break the overall massing into two forms, with proportions that now feel appropriate for our backyard. The material palette would consist of vertical stained cedar siding, economical exterior grade plywood, wood windows and a corrugated metal roof. Aesthetically, we don’t think that this structure needs to match the main house, but that they do compliment each other. The proposed palette achieves this while still giving us the freedom to explore new ideas and materials. I think it goes without saying these days, but we’d also like to implement as many sustainable strategies as possible. Obviously the big ones include creating more density on our lot and reusing an existing structure. Other features would include a south-facing vegetated trellis (to grow edibles), a cistern to collect roof run-off (and then use for irrigation) and pre-wiring for solar on the south-facing roof.
Now that we have a design that we’re happy with, we’ve been looking into financing options and talking to different contractors. Ideally, we’d hire out the job this time around but we might also consider acting as our own General Contractor or adding some sweat equity if we need to reduce the overall budget. That said, we’re also trying to approach this as a case study project – achieving a creative design solution on a reasonable budget. The DADU was legalized largely as a means to deal with increased urban density (everyone wants to move to Seattle!) and we’re excited to explore what this could mean not only for our family but for all the other potential DADU projects out there.
Finally, what would this project mean for our house? Well, moving our Studio Zerbey headquarters to this new structure would free up space and (hopefully) give us back some breathing room. (Our baby sleeps in the dining room, remember?) While the girls are still little, we’ll likely keep the attic loft as a satellite office space (I’m sure they’ll totally claim it later). My office (aka our basement guest bedroom) would probably be used as a shared sleeping space for Avery and Lillian, keeping the current nursery as a play area. (With the DADU, we’d no longer need a guest room.)
We’re hoping to move forward with construction this year. Our projected workload is such that we need to seriously consider hiring 1-2 employees in 2015 and we just don’t have space right now. It’s an exciting project for us, not just because it will be the last big thing to cross off our remodel to-do list (plus the basement bathroom and laundry room, ugh!) but it will also be a big step in the growth of our business. Unlike our home, where we had less carte blanche and were working within tight budget and phasing constraints, this will also be an opportunity to do something that is a bit more reflective of our design sensibility.
So, onward!
summer day
Before Instagram, I used to do more random posts about what we were up to when we weren’t working on our house or Studio Zerbey projects. I thought about putting together something for Avery’s 2nd birthday (which was last week) but in all honesty I only took a handful of photos and half of them landed on Instagram so it seemed redundant to do a recap here. Unlike her first birthday, we kept it pretty low-key this year. We had a small party in our backyard with doughnuts and leftover party supplies from a year ago. (I’ve decided that 2nd birthdays are great because you don’t have the pressure of the big first birthday bash and yet they’re still too young to have any expectations of what their birthday or party should be.)
Although we’ve had a really beautiful Seattle summer so far, we haven’t done a lot of travelling or playing. Work-wise, this has been our busiest time since starting Studio Zerbey. We’re also scrambling to wrap up other projects and to-do items before baby #2 arrives next month(!). That said, we do try to take advantage of little opportunities here and there and sometimes we even embrace a little spontaneity. A quick trip to Shilshole beach last weekend turned into a three-hour adventure around our neighborhood and that’s kinda what summer is all about, right? I snapped a bunch of iPhone photos and thought instead of over-saturating my other feeds, I’d do a quick post here.
Happy summer, everyone!
I think Bailey is happiest at the beach (and the weird perspective in the photo makes him look gigantic!).
I swear this kid could spot a strawberry plant from a mile away. We’re still working on “look, don’t touch” but at least she didn’t eat any. Oooh….stahbrees!
We stopped at Skillet for brunch, which is in a mixed-use building that I worked on a bit at my previous firm. (I distinctly remember drawing those bent steel rods in CAD!) Now that it’s had time to establish, the landscaping looks really amazing. (Fun fact: the lead landscape architect for the job was Mark Garff, our friend who also did the landscape design for our house.)
This was the first time we’ve been when the doors were all opened up. Not a regular occurrence in Seattle, but dang it was nice! (Of course I had to get the castellated beam in the shot!)
I’m usually underwhelmed by the options for kid’s meals, but Skillet did it right with this grilled PB&J and fruit (in a baby skillet no less!).
I think Avery felt the same way. (I hear some kids are “neat” and don’t like to get “dirty”. Huh.)
After brunch we were heading back to the car when we decided to stop at the park nearby for some post-PB&J spray-down. And what do you know – there was a piano just parked right there (it’s part of the Pianos in the Park campaign)! So Kyle and Avery tried it out and I couldn’t help but capture the moment. (Remember when we used to have a piano? But then we had to sell it to make way for the baby crib? Yeah, Kyle has not forgotten.)
It took a few minutes to get used to the idea, but she was soon running through the water. Soaked and towel-less we decided to head home. I put Avery in some dry clothes and then she took the most glorious 4-hr nap.
Summer, let’s hold on for another month or so, ok?
Oh, I decided to make my Instagram feed private – it doesn’t affect you if you’re already a follower I just wanted to be a bit more selective about privacy. My username is laurenzerbey (one word) if you want to follow! Disclaimer: it’s mostly photos of Avery and Bailey.
